#DailyDevotion The Now And Not Yet Of Biblical Prophecy
Isaiah 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7 the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water…
In the prophets we often see fulfillment of prophecies concerning Jesus as now and not yet. That is Jesus will fulfill part of a prophecy in his life to point to him as the Messiah but another part of the prophecy will have to wait for the last day to be fulfilled. This is one of those prophecies.
Certainly Jesus is the God who has come. It is why we confess Jesus is Lord. We are confessing he is YHWH who delivered his people from the Egyptians and spoke through the prophets. We see in the Gospels the things Jesus has done:
Joh 9:32-33 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. (33) If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
Mat 9:6-7 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” (7) And he rose and went home.
Mar 7:34-35 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” (35) And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
Just a few of the miracles Jesus did while we walked among us visibly.
But for the waters breaking forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert and the Lord coming with a vengeance that is part of the not yet in the fulfillment of this prophecy and many like them. Now is the time of grace. It is the time to hear the message of forgiveness of sins won for us by Jesus on the cross. Now is the time to hear the message of reconciliation, the Father is no longer counting our trespasses against us. It is the time for mankind to repent of their sins and turn to Jesus and have their hearts, souls, minds and spirits healed by him.
Jesus is returning. On that day the earth will be restored. It will see our redemption as the children of God and its own redemption. All those who in faith prayed for healing will be completely restored to a state better than it could have been fulfilled in this age because we will be raised to eternal life. Our ills will not only be put in remission, we will be completely cured inside and out. The effects of sin will be done away with in our cosmos as well as the cosmos is restored to its pristine beauty.
However, for those who rejected Jesus as the Messiah, those who did not repent of their sins, those who refused the good news of reconciliation with God the Father through Jesus Christ, the Lord will appear to them and grant them the justice they deserve.
Lord Jesus Christ, continually give us your grace that we may receiving healing of our hearts, minds, souls and spirits that we may proclaim your goodness to a fallen world that they may participate in your salvation on the day of your revelation. Amen.